Shiva Baby Ending, Explained: Does Kim Know About Danielle and Max?

‘Shiva Baby’ is a comedy-drama film that revolves around a young Jewish college student who struggles to present an ideal version of her life while attending a funeral service. Danielle, a gender studies major with a fake babysitting career, is already dreading the community gathering she has to attend with her parents in the wake of a relative’s death. Therefore, things become even more complicated when she realizes her ex-girlfriend, Maya, is also at the Shiva—along with her latest Sugar Daddy, Max. Worse yet, the latter arrives with his wife, Kim, and their toddling daughter, Rose—two people whose existence has been a mystery to Danielle so far. Thus, as she’s forced to endure hours of passive-aggressive socializing, the situation devolves into personal chaos for Danielle. The story’s premise hinges on a bag of poorly kept secrets that threaten to unravel until the very end. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Shiva Baby Plot Synopsis

Danielle is a sugar baby who exchanges intimacy with her client for money. After a meet-up with her current client, Max, she leaves to attend a Shiva observance for a distant relative with her parents. Of course, Danielle’s parents, Joel and Debbie, have no idea about their daughter’s career. Instead, they’re under the impression that she gets her money from babysitting gigs. As such, before entering the metaphorical lion of dens—their close-knit Jewish community—Debbie preps her daughter on how to make her current prospects look less messy while socializing. Still, Danielle is caught off-guard when she arrives at the Shiva to find Maya, her ex-girlfriend, in attendance.

Danielle and Maya’s relationship is a complicated matter between the duo as well as their friends and family. For the most part, everyone else seems to prefer thinking of their previous relationship as an “experiment,” overlooking Danielle’s bisexuality. Therefore, it becomes that much more difficult to face Maya—who is all set for law school, surpassing every milestone the other girl is failing at. Eventually, another addition to the service adds to Danielle’s growing torment as Max walks in with his apparent family, non-Jewish breadwinning wife, Kim, and their daughter, Rose.

Debbie’s insistence on an introduction leads to the subtle unraveling of all the lies Danielle had told Max regarding her domestic independence and Law school aspirations. Even though Danielle and Max are caught in the same boat—having lied about their lives—the former can’t help but feel at the wrong end of a power imbalance. The dreadful situation is exacerbated by the teenager’s parents, who attempt to score a job offer for their daughter via Max’s wife, Kim.

To make matters worse, Danielle also has to bear her unbearable relatives, who constantly criticize everything about her—from her weight to her life choices. As a result, Danielle finds herself lashing out in unwise ways, sending nudes to Max and attempting to hook up with him in the bathroom. Naturally, Kim notices their off-beat dynamic and grows suspicious of the situation.

Shiva Baby Ending: Does the Truth About Danielle’s Profession Come Out?

Danielle’s work as a sugar baby is the earliest secret introduced in the web of lies that remains at the center of the film’s narrative. The student is involved in sex work, mostly facilitated through an app that matches “sugar babies” up with “sugar daddies.” However, as far as their parents are concerned, she engages in babysitting gigs to earn her money. While Danielle is otherwise good at keeping this secret, it becomes difficult to do so once her client, Max, shows up at the Shiva. As such, the man realizes that Danielle’s self-confident, go-getter persona is only just an act. The same, paired with Kim and her daughter’s presence, metaphorically swipes the rug from under her legs.

Perhaps, for the same reason, Danielle attempts to take back some of her previously held power by trying to seduce Max at the gathering. Kim already makes the other woman feel insecure due to her well-established career. However, she knows that the one unstable point in the older woman’s life is her relationship with Max. Thus, she attempts to elevate her own confidence in a twisted way by proving her success in the same area. Nonetheless, this only comes back to ruin her life. While Danielle was taking her picture in the bathroom, she accidentally left her phone there. However, she forgets about it momentarily after an interaction with Maya.

Aside from Max, Maya has been Danielle’s greatest source of dreadful awkwardness. As if being her ex-girlfriend isn’t enough, the other woman is also comparatively better at young adulthood than Danielle—at least in the eyes of the adults around them. Therefore, it adds to her long-running turmoil when she runs into Maya immediately after Max rejects her. The duo end up confronting each other outside, and they admit that despite their distance, they have both missed each other. Although the reason behind their previous anonymity remains ambiguous, Danielle makes it known that she tried to reach out to May in her own small ways. Ultimately, their conversation ends with the two of them making out with each other—reigniting the sparks of their previous romance.

However, this quickly comes crashing down when Maya discovers Danielle’s phone in the bathroom. Even though she tries not to snoop around on it, she glimpses at the notifications on the phone and realizes that the other woman works as a sugar baby. The revelations take Maya by surprise, resulting in an immediate reaction of disgust and betrayal. Still, while she insults Danielle about her profession later, she doesn’t reveal the information to anyone else. Danielle is already under plenty of fire from her parents and their friends, who don’t understand her lifestyle as a vegan bisexual babysitter who majors in gender studies. The reality of her sex work is almost confirmed to not go over well with the others. Therefore, Danielle’s secret ultimately remains safe with Maya, even as it threatens to ruin their recently improved relationship.

Does Kim Know About Danielle and Max’s Affair?

After Maya discovers Danielle’s secret, it’s only a matter of time before Kim can make the same discovery. So far, the high-pressure situation of having a room full of people judge your every move has gotten Danielle in its clutches. Her parents continue to embarrass her by bringing up her current disorganized life and making references to her past that make her feel infantilized. On the other hand, her tumultuous interactions with Maya have only served to make her insecure about her career choices. Meanwhile, on Max’s front, Danielle has barely escaped complicated scenarios numerous times—including when Kim recognizes her bracelet (a gift from Max) as the same piece she also owns. Yet, her luck is bound to run out.

Eventually, Max corners Danielle to end their arrangement. She barely manages to bite back a scathing response about Max lavishing away on his wife’s money before Kim finds them in the kitchen. Even though the woman gives no indication that she overheard their previous conversation, it becomes evident that she has clued in on their situation. This becomes evident when Kim returns Danielle’s phone to her after finding it in the bathroom. It’s wholly possible that, like Maya, the other woman also made her own conclusions. Furthermore, she asks Danielle to hold her baby under the pretense of needing some help. This is likely a ploy for Kim to prove the woman’s involvement in her husband’s infidelity.

Kim wants Danielle to hold Rose so that she can reckon with the fact that she has unwittingly become a homewrecker in the middle of a precarious family dynamic. Likewise, Danielle’s inexperience in behaving around the toddler will also prove the deceit of her supposed babysitter career. For the same reasons, Danielle remains reluctant to hold Rose, which eventually leads to a struggle that makes her knock down some Holy books on display. Inevitably, this becomes the breaking point in the young woman’s story.

As Danielle attempts to clean up the mess, she breaks down in tears and asks her mother if she’s disappointed in her. This response is a direct result of the constant passive-aggressive tinkering Danielle has had to do around her life to make it more palatable for her mother’s social group. Despite her young age, she believes she is utterly failing at managing her life—a fact that comes into stark focus at the Shiva. Danielle’s breakdown marks the end of the stay for numerous people, including her parents, Maya, and Max’s family. Even though Kim never directly confronts Danielle about her relationship with her husband, her subtle suspicious glances and the Rose incident more or less prove that the woman likely knows about Max’s affair.

Are Danielle and Maya Back Together?

Maya and Danielle’s relationship remains another intriguing aspect of the latter’s narrative that holds a unique spot in the gathering. Almost everyone seems to be aware of their precarious situation as people who were once incredibly close until they weren’t anymore. Even though the two women come close to rekindling their romance after their impromptu makeout session, the discovery of Danielle’s profession soon ruins that. Yet, Maya isn’t entirely done with her ex-girlfriend. Initially, she reacts badly to the discovery of Danielle being a sugar baby because it makes her feel unsure about her own place in the other woman’s life.

Still, Maya clearly cares about Danielle, as is evident in her decision not to spill her secret and to support her when she needs her. For instance, when Danielle cuts herself on glass shards while trying to clean up the mess she made, Maya quickly arrives at her side for aide. Even afterward, as Joel and Debbie are preparing to leave, the two women stay by each other’s sides, carrying casseroles together outside. In the end, Joel convinces everyone to ride in his van—including Max and his family, whose cab cancels at the last minute. Unbeknownst to him, he has just created an incredibly awkward situation for her daughter.

Nonetheless, as Danielle is forced to sit behind Max, her former sugar daddy, and listen to his daughter cry—Maya is right there with her, holding her hand. The film ends as the two women share a fond long between each other. It isn’t a confirmation that they’re back together. Yet, it cements the hopeful nature of their future relationship. Despite the chaos that the Shiva had inspired in Danielle’s life, it allowed her an opportunity to reconnect with her ex-girlfriend. Likewise, she still has no idea what to do with her life, and she’s still dealing with her issues. However, at least the needling torment of the reunion is over for now.

Read More: Is Shiva Baby Based on a True Story?